Numbers count. So should girls.

Approximately one person in twelve around the world is a girl or young woman aged 10–24. Yet many developing countries do not account for the number of girls in their population. Due to an unavailability of systems to count these girls, and sometimes simply due to a lack of political will, girls will be denied birth certificates or other forms of official identification. This means that as a girl grows up it will be difficult, if not impossible, for her to attend school or get a job in the formal business sector. She will not be able to own her own or inherit land, start her own business, or vote. She will likely be confined to the home and left unpaid – an invisible member of society.

Congress passing the Girls Count Act is a huge step toward helping girls (and boys) everywhere reach their full potential. When a child isn’t registered, they are invisible in the eyes of their government and their society. And girls are disproportionately affected.